How long will my appointment take?
Your appointment with the pre-operative assessment team can take up to two hours, please allow for this.
Not all patients need to be seen in a pre-operative assessment clinic. Depending on your procedure, some patients may not require a formal pre-operative assessment, whereas some patients can have a pre-operative assessment over the telephone. This will be decided by your consultant.
What should I bring to my pre-operative assessment appointment or have ready for a telephone consultation?
- Prescriptions and any over the counter medicines or supplements you take
- Information regarding:
- allergies
- your medical history including:
- when you were diagnosed
- current treatment
- any recent changes
- You will be asked about previous surgeries, the dates and where they took place
- You will be asked if you or a member of your family has ever had a bad reaction to an anaesthetic, whether this is:
- vomiting
- that you were slow to wake up
- cold
- something more serious such as
- a small airway
- difficulty opening your mouth or moving your neck
- If you have a face-to-face appointment please bring any paperwork with you regarding the above, the more information we have about these things the better prepared we can be on the day of your surgery
- A relative or carer can accompany you to your appointment, especially if you think you will have difficulties providing information about yourself or if you think you will not remember what information you are given
- If you need an interpreter, please inform the booking co-ordinator on:
- Please eat/drink and take your medication/inhalers/injections as normal before attending your pre-operative assessment appointment
- If you need to pass urine when you arrive, please inform a member of staff as you may need to provide a sample
How to prepare for your surgery
Please consider making an appointment with your GP or Practice Nurse for a health check regarding:
- weight - if you know that you are over or underweight and need support
- blood pressure - if you are over 40 or known to have high blood pressure already
- heart function (ECG) - if you have had any unexplained chest pain, palpitations or blackouts
- smoking - if you need help to stop smoking or vaping (nicotine increases risks for surgery)
- alcohol - if you are regularly drinking over 20 units a week
- blood tests for
- kidney function
- anaemia - if you have a history of bleeding, or a diet low in iron or have been anaemic previously
- diabetes, liver and thyroid function too if you are on medication for these
Discuss with them any long-term conditions that you have and confirm if they are well controlled.
You should do this as soon as you know you are going to have surgery. Do not wait for a surgery date to do this. Having this information available when you come for your pre-op assessment will give us a good picture of your health and whether we need to do anything else before your surgery.
Make an appointment with your dentist if you have any loose teeth or crowns. There is a risk when you have an anaesthetic of damage to these due to the equipment that is used to help you breathe under an anaesthetic .
Prehabilitation - getting fit for surgery
Prehabilitation is all about preparing your body and mind for surgery.
Making some simple lifestyle changes before surgery will:
- Improve your health and fitness
- Improve your mental wellbeing
- Prevent your surgery being delayed or potentially cancelled
- Reduce complications during and after surgery
- Help your body recover quicker
- Help you to be discharged home on time or earlier than expected
Making lifestyle changes
Stop smoking
Read NHS guidance to find out more about what services are available to assist you.
Reduce your alcohol intake
Please see the link below to take a short questionnaire to see if you have a reliance on alcohol.
For more information regarding alcohol intake, the risks of increased alcohol intake, and hot to get help, see the NHS website below.
Healthy eating
Body Mass Index (BMI) uses your height, weight, ethnicity and sex to calculate if you are at a healthy weight, underweight, overweight or obese - find out what your BMI is using the BMI calculator.
If you are overweight or obese you are at more risk of complications during and after surgery. The NHS Better Health website can help you improve your diet and encourage exercise to reduce your BMI for surgery.
Exercises
Adults should do some type of physical activity every day. Exercise just once or twice a week can reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke. This can be as simple as a daily walk, swimming, or dancing. Please see the link below for NHS guidance on how to improve your fitness.
Mental health and anxiety
Knowing that you need to have an operation whether minor or major surgery can have a negative impact on your mental health.
- Do you feel anxious about your surgery? Do you feel your heart beating fast? Do you have panic attacks where you are struggling to breathe when you think about your surgery?
- Talk to friends and family your concerns/worry
Information on how to practice mindfulness in available on the NHS website.
Information is available from The Royal College of Anaesthetists on how to prepare mentally for your surgery.
Last reviewed: 17 June 2024
